Parent Orientation marks the beginning of the school year and is one of the few opportunities I will have to address all Trinitas parents together in a face-to-face setting. In the weeks leading up to this night, I cast about for an idea, a theme for this address that will encourage, challenge, and perhaps, inspire each of you as we head into the new school year together.

Trinitas teachers return to school two weeks prior to the start of each school year for ten days of training, preparation, and fellowship. Each day begins with a devotion delivered by a pastor from the various churches where our faculty members worship and each afternoon begins with Faculty Choir. As far back as I can remember, Mr. Varela has spent thirty minutes each day of Faculty Forum teaching our teachers how to sing in parts. For a couple years, he tried to teach us solfege as he does his students, but I think he finally gave up on that. During these practice times, we familiarize ourselves with the songs in the Morning Meeting guide, experience the same joyful instruction that our students receive from Mr. V (as the cool kids call him), and we fellowship together.

This year, however, Mr. Varela through us a little curve ball. On the first day of Faculty Chorus, we arrived in the new music building ready to sing but instead found that he had prepared for us rows of shiny handbells and chimes. Perhaps he began the first day with some sort of inspiring speech about how learning to play the handbells would changes our lives – I can’t really say because I didn’t make it to the first practice – all I know is that when I reported to faculty chorus on day two, I took a quick look around and decided that there wasn’t a place for me, but as I was headed for the door, in front of everyone, he called on me to join the handbell choir. Said he had a place where he needed me. Said that anyone could learn how to play a handbell.

Maybe it was payback for skipping his first rehearsal. Maybe it was a God-ordained opportunity to keep me humble. But whatever was afoot, Mr. Varela squeezed me in between Dr. Hadley and Miss May and gave me one single, itty-bitty chime to play…and then practice began.

I quickly noticed that others had two or three bells or chimes for which they were responsible. Some even had notes in every measure! Me and my G6 chime had a grand total of four notes. Three on page one of the composition, and just one solitary note on page two. Perhaps you noticed me a moment ago with a little more time on my hands than the rest of the faculty choir.

As I looked down the row, I saw several teachers playing their multiple notes with the gleeful intensity of a surgeon in the operating room. To my left, Coach K was ringing his chimes like a Salvation Army bellringer on speed. I didn’t quite know what to do with the extra time on my hands while I waited for my next note. Should I sit down? Should I go get a cup of coffee? Should I just smile and look dumb? I didn’t really know.

Whatever Mr. Varela intended by assigning me that sad little chime and four wee notes, I’m glad he did because as I stood there - admittedly a little self-conscious - I looked around and considered three profound similarities between my first handbell experience and the education provided at Trinitas. First...

Education is more like a handbell arrangement than a piano arrangement.

A gifted pianist can take a sheet of music with many skillfully arranged notes and make beautiful music. But a handbell arrangement takes a great many people playing their assigned notes to create beautiful music. Likewise, the Trinitas education that your student will receive this year won’t be the result of one single teacher. Regardless of his grade level, your student’s education will come from accumulated investment that a whole host of Trinitas teachers, coaches, music teachers, staff members, and administrators will make in him over the next 174 school days.

What’s more, this one year will likely not be the extent of that investment of time, passion, and labor that will go into your child’s Trinitas education. Many of you have older students that have been here for many years. Literally, tens of dozens of people have – over the years played their notes – whether few or many – so that the beautiful harmony of a classical Christian education now resounds from your student. Others of you are just starting your Trinitas composition. Your child’s teachers are going to love your student, disciple your student, steward your student – and then, they will pass them off next year to experience the same process again. Over and over again. Year after year. Grade level after grade level. Until they cross that stage, receive their diploma, and sign the book of graduates.

The second lesson I learned while standing in front of Mr. Varela waiting for my note to come, was...

Everyone has a part to play.

Not only are Trinitas teachers contributing to the music your child is becoming but so are the other bellringers that you allow in their lives. Their pastors and Sunday school teachers play an important part. Their grandparents and cousins. Their travel and club ball coaches. Their friends – whether in your neighborhood or on the screens you put in front of them all play a part. And, of course, you play the biggest part in the life of your student. Parent involvement is about more than showing up for feast days or driving to away games, it is about being actively involved in the formation of your student that is taking place day in and day out in this place. It’s about pursuing their heart. It’s about shaping their loves. It’s about supporting their teacher, checking their homework, returning that white slip, or dispensing biblical, positive discipline when needed.

Make no mistake; everyone has a part to play. When someone is not playing their part well, it undermines the music that everyone else is making. During our practices, Mr. Varela would say, “I’m hearing something not quite right over here.” Or he would have various groups of notes play while the others listened so he could isolate and identify the part that was being played wrong. When it comes to the education of your children, I encourage you to isolate and identify those that are playing the wrong note, the wrong rhythm, or the wrong tempo so that correction can take place and beautiful music can be made.

Not only is education more like a handbell arrangement than a piano arrangement, and not only does everyone have a part to play, but finally...

Effective education requires a director.

As I stood in the handbell line awaiting my turn to demonstrate my musical prowess, I watched Mr. Varela do his thing. I watched him snap his fingers to keep us on the beat. I watched him point at us when it was our turn to come in. I watched him wave his little baton around to...well, quite frankly, I’m not sure why he waves that stick around. Yet I came to understand that a handbell choir needs a director. The director is the person who has assembled the choir. The direction is the person who knows the piece of music the choir is to perform. The director is the person who enables the players to work together in harmony. The director is the person who isolates and identifies elements in the music that do not belong and then removes them. Just like a handbell choir requires a director, an effective education requires a director.

Never forget, Trinitas parents, that while we all play a part in the music-making of a Trinitas education, the Lord Jesus Christ ultimately directs our composition. By His grace, He has assembled this choir. By His sovereign foreknowledge, He knows the piece of music we are playing. By His Spirit, He has enabled us to perform in harmony one with another. In His Word, He has identified the elements that do not belong in His composition and commanded us to remove them. And it is for His Glory alone that He has given these precious children to you to train them to sing His praises all day of their lives. May God bless each of you, your families, and our school in the coming year.